


A promise

by aleclaia



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 3x17, 3x17 oneshot, Comforting!Alec, EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, M/M, Malec, Slightly angsty??, but they‘re being cute, drunk!magnus, fluff and comfort, hurt!Magnus, malec proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 02:46:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18421227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleclaia/pseuds/aleclaia
Summary: Based on a tweet by niki (@malecncriss):"what if magnus accidentally lifted up that top? like he came in drunk and hungry and said something like “ugh i hope this is better than last week’s pancakes” and then imagine his reaction when he sees the ring"or, an au in which Magnus finds out Alec wants to propose in 3x17 but it turns out a little differently in the end.





	A promise

**Author's Note:**

> Welp so another oneshot haha. I‘m apologizing for grammar mistakes again but enjoy it anyway!! :) Got really inspired to write a oneshot after I saw niki‘s tweet hahah

"You know, I really love this pre-war architecture. It is gorgeous, just like you«, Magnus chuckled when he finally arrived and walked towards Alec. Alec slightly smiled but quickly lost his smile again when Magnus walked away and pulled out a bottle out of his jacket, desperately looking for another drop of - whatever its content was.

Though Alec could count one and one together. It must have been alcohol. It’s not like he couldn’t have smelled it when Magnus came to cup his face for a short second, but Alec thought he might be just imagining it. Now, seeing Magnus with the bottle, it makes more sense.

»Have you been drinking?«, Alec carefully asked.

»Uh, apparently I lost my warlock tolerance for booze and... hm", his boyfriend quickly answered and dropped the empty bottle on the ground, just to pull out another one with some drops left.

»How much have you had?«, Alec asked. He noticed himself getting worried about Magnus. He‘s never seen him drunk before and especially not this drunk.

»A lot«, Magnus replied, »Why? Are you judging me?«

»No, I’m just concerned. I’ve never seen you like this«, the shadowhunter admitted.

»Well, no. Neither have I«, Magnus said and made himself another drink.

»Did something happen?«, Alec asked him a little confused. Of course Alec knew that Magnus must still be grieving because of his magic. But why has he gotten himself drunk only now then?

»Oh, you didn‘t hear? I lost my magic«, Magnus said, as if it was new information to Alec, »twice!«, he tried to chuckle to hide his pain. But now it probably sounded even more desperate.

Alec hesitatingly looked away from Magnus on the ground and tried to form some words. He didn‘t know what to say next. He had the whole evening planned in his head, but this messed up his whole concept. Magnus briefly looked over to him and sighed.

»However«, Magnus tried to put on a soft smile and placed the bottle on the table in front of him, still holding the new glass with alcohol in his other hand.

»I’m starving and we wouldn‘t want this dinner to get cold, right? I can‘t warm it up with my magic anymore, so.« Alec looked back up to see Magnus walking past him towards the table.

»Let‘s just hope this dinner is better than those pancakes from last week«, he added after he took a sip from his drink. He placed the glass next to one of the plate‘s and immediately grabbed for the cap of it. 

Alec‘s eyes widened. Below that cap he had placed the family ring and after the conversation he just had with Magnus, he wasn‘t so sure if right now would be a good timing to propose.

»Wait, I-«, Alec tried to stop Magnus from removing the cap, but it was too late. Magnus held the cap in his right hand already, staring down at the plate.

Alec let his hands fall down next to his waist and sighed a little, stepping back.

It took Magnus a few moments to realize what was lying on the plate. It was a ring. But it wasn‘t just any ring, it was Alec‘s family ring. The Lightwood ring.

Alec didn‘t know what to do or what to say - he didn‘t even know what to think at this point. He didn‘t want to propose to Magnus when he‘s in that state of mind, but he also didn‘t want it to be awkward between them, because Magnus is definitely not stupid. He probably figured out Alec wanted to propose and him not proposing now would make things a little weird. At least that‘s what Alec thought.

»Magnus, I.... This. I‘m sorry, um...«, Alec tried to explain, only blurting out half of whole words and without even knowing what he was trying to say in the first place.

Magnus couldn‘t stop looking at the ring. He slowly put down the cap and took the ring in his right hand, not looking away from it for just a second. He was so concentrated on it, Magnus didn‘t realize there were tears in his eyes.

The older man turned around so he‘d face Alec.

Alec still looked at him with a look that he couldn‘t decipher. Magnus couldn’t tell if Alec was sad, angry or happy. It somehow seemed like every emotion was floating over Alec‘s face right now.

»Magnus-«

»Is that the occasion? Is this the reason why you wanted this special, romantic dinner on the balcony? So you could propose?«, Magnus asked and held the ring a little higher. He didn‘t even take some proper time to breathe between each question. He just couldn‘t believe this. He wasn‘t shocked in a bad way though.

Alec blinked a few times before swallowing to find his voice back.

»Yeah that.... that was the original plan. I‘m sorry«, he apologized and rubbed his hands against his thighs.

»Why’d you apologize?«, Magnus let his arm sink down and held the ring with both hands now, taking a few steps towards his boyfriend.

»Because this is ridiculous. You‘re not feeling well and I‘m just out here planning a damn proposal. Plus it‘s ruined anyways. You know now, so...«, Alec sighed and turned around, because he noticed himself having glassy eyes.

Magnus walked over to Alec completely now and used his arm to turn Alec back to him. Their faces were just inches away from each other now. Magnus carefully placed his left hand on Alec‘s cheek while still holding the ring with his other hand.

»Ask me.«

»No, Magnus. I‘m not going to do that. Not now«, Alec started shaking his head. He definitely wouldn’t propose to Magnus like that and especially not when Magnus made it pretty clear he wasn’t in the right state of mind for things like this.

»Why not?«, Magnus asked him with a little disappointment in his voice that broke Alec‘s heart into pieces. He didn‘t want Magnus to think he didn‘t want to marry him. He just didn‘t want to propose like this.

Alec didn‘t really know how to respond so he looked back on the ground searching for words to use. Magnus slowly let go of his cheek and stepped back, looking at the ring.

»You don‘t want to marry me anymore«, Magnus stated. Alec‘s head immediately raised and his eyebrows were drawn together.

»What? No, Magnus-«, the shadowhunter tried to reassure his boyfriend.

»You‘re seeing me like this. Drunk, vulnerable, mundane. Probably noticed you wouldn‘t want to marry a mess like me«, Magnus said, speaking exactly what he was thinking in that moment. 

The fact that Magnus thinks so low of himself broke Alec‘s heart once again. He wished Magnus could see how amazing he actually is.

»Hey, no. You‘re not a mess, Magnus. And I do want to marry you«, Alec said, placing his hands on Magnus' elbows.

»Then why are you refusing to propose?«, Magnus looked into Alec‘s eyes. Alec could read the confusion in Magnus'.

»Because this is not the right moment. You‘re not in the right state of mind for this and even if you think you are, you’re not. And the last thing I want is to push you to anything«, he explained, not letting go of Magnus for any moment.

Magnus kept looking at the ring and sighed quietly.

There was a moment of silence between them in which they both just took a few seconds to process what just happened.

Suddenly Alec took Magnus' hands in his, together with ring.

»Take it. Not as a proposal - yet. But as a promise«, Alec started and slowly shoved the ring down on one of Magnus' fingers. Magnus kept looking back and forth from Alec to the ring, not being fully able to realize what’s happening.

»A promise, that we will get married. A promise, that I’ll help you through this and that I stand by your side. A promise, that you will never be alone again. A promise, that you have me«, Alec continued until the ring was settled on Magnus' finger.

»A promise, that I love you more than any words could ever describe«, he kind of whispered, just loud enough for Magnus to hear it.

Even though Magnus was in pain and he knew that pain wouldn‘t go away easily, maybe it will never go away at all, but in this moment Magnus felt a small spark of happiness running through his body. He was more than glad to have Alec. 

»You don‘t have to say anything back, just know that I mean what I‘m saying«, Alec added after Magnus didn‘t respond for a little while.

Magnus formed a sad but also relieved smile with his lips and hoped that Alec knew Magnus loved him all the same and that he‘d always be by his side as well.

He softly nodded as he let himself falls into Alec‘s arms, giving him the warmest hug he could offer right now. Alec put his arms around Magnus' body and placed a few single kisses on his shoulder while keep repeating the words: »I‘m here«.


End file.
